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View synonyms for tsunami

tsunami

[ tsoo-nah-mee ]

noun

  1. an unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption.


tsunami

/ tsʊˈnæmɪ /

noun

  1. a large, often destructive, sea wave produced by a submarine earthquake, subsidence, or volcanic eruption. Sometimes incorrectly called a tidal wave
  2. a sudden increase in or overwhelming number or volume of

    the tsunami of Olympic visitors

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


tsunami

/ tso̅o̅-nä /

  1. A very large ocean wave that is caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption and often causes extreme destruction when it strikes land. Tsunamis can have heights of up to 30 m (98 ft) and reach speeds of 950 km (589 mi) per hour. They are characterized by long wavelengths of up to 200 km (124 mi) and long periods, usually between 10 and 60 minutes.
  2. See Note at tidal wave


tsunami

  1. A large wave on the ocean, usually caused by an undersea earthquake , a volcanic eruption, or coastal landslide. A tsunami can travel hundreds of miles over the open sea and cause extensive damage when it encounters land. Also called tidal waves.


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Other Words From

  • tsu·na·mic [ts, oo, -, nah, -mik, -, nam, -ik], adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tsunami1

1905–10; < Japanese, equivalent to tsu harbor (earlier tu ) + nami wave
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tsunami1

from Japanese, from tsu port + nami wave
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Example Sentences

“It was a tsunami,” declares Juan José Montane.

From BBC

Others fear another Fukushima-scale disaster, where a tsunami disabled three reactors, causing the release of highly radioactive materials and forcing mass evacuations.

From BBC

“At the same time, colleagues from Denmark, who do a lot of fieldwork in Greenland, received reports of a tsunami that happened in a remote fjord,” explained Dr Hicks.

From BBC

In politics, as in nature, the largest tsunami generated by an earthquake is often not the first wave but the next one.

From Salon

It’s not that putting a woman in the Oval Office fixes pervasive gender inequality, starts a tsunami of female achievement, or signals that the feminist movement has finally succeeded.

From Slate

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Tsugaru Straittsuris